My CPU Is Overloaded

Jim Richmond asked wherefore his CPU is running at 100 percent, slowing down his PC to a crawl.

CPUs, like people, can be overworked. If you've ever been frantically trying to finish an important project while your boss is external respiration down your neck about another one, with your headphone constantly ringing, and your teen bombarding you with texts, you know just what a CPU feels like.

I can't help you simplify your life, but I give the sack tell you how to ease up your CPU's workload. And that will simplify your life.

If an overloaded CPU slowed fine-tune your PC in one case or twice in the last calendar month, assume't interest about it. Merely if it happens frequently–or always–you've got some work to do.

Start by scanning your system for malware. Expend something other than your regular antivirus program. You probably don't want to establis and update software while your PC is slow equally molasses, so boot into Safe Mode to lie with. I recommend the free versions of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and SUPERAntiSpyware. See The Cleanest Malware Scan for other suggestions.

Unfortunately, you can't do the rest of these tests in Fail-safe Musical mode. Well, you can, merely they wouldn't tell you anything.

When non in Safe Mood, open the Task Manager: Right-click the taskbar and blue-ribbon Task Manager (if you're victimization XP or Vista) or Bug out Chore Manager (Windows 7).

Once it's open you can see how overworked the CPU is without even looking the Task Manager window. Simply hover the mouse pointer over the Task Manager picture in the Systray or notice area and the status leave pop up.

In the Task Manager itself, click the Processes lozenge. Then click the CPU column heading to sort the processes by how much of the CPU they're using. Whatever process is hogging the C.P.U. leave be on upmost.

XP users shouldn't vexation about the Organization Idle Process. In fact, this one should get on top and look like a grunter. Information technology shows what share of the CPU isn't existence used.

You can kill a task right away with the End Swear out button. But that's non a permanent solution. Approximately computer program or another is indentured to load the process again.

But what program? Move back to ProcessLibrary.com to buzz off a description of the process. That should tell you which program it belongs to.

Erst you've identified the application causing the problem, you can check with the manufacturer to see if there's a bug fix, avoid using the syllabu as much as possible, or uninstall it.

And if no of these ideas appear practical, consider replacing the program with a competitor.

Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector writes about technology and cinema. E-mail your technical school questions to him at answer@pcworld.com, or post them to a community of implemental folks on the PCW Answer Line forum.